Mat Talk-Catching up with the past

Seeing all our wrestling alumni matside for the holidays reminds us that, when Mat Talk first became involved with the world's oldest sport, you could count the number of area college wrestlers on the fingers of one hand. Now we both need to take our shoes off to total them.

With his victory (No. 116) over St. Pauls, Md., coach Rick Hendrickson set the Mercersburg Academy all-time win record. Amazingly, he has done it in only seven years. Fred Kuhn, who set the previous record, coached for 31 years.

Is Anyone Listening?

The 215-pound weight class at the Max Horz Invitational was bigger than the "true" heavyweight division, and made the 275-ers look like RoboWrestler. (except for tournament champion Chris Bulley from James Wood. How can anyone with a name like that lose?)

Overheard from a coach, also at the MHI: "This is not a tough tournament." (Then why didn't you win the top half of the field of 18 instead of the bottom half?)

This division has no less than 10 wrestlers in the area that can get the win on any given day (or already have). Our current judgement is that Middletown's John Bisnett and St. James' Grant Salisbury are ready to shoot in on the next 171-pounder to misstep.

Mat Movers

* So much has already been written about Hedgesville's Anthony Regalbuto (145), yet there is still so much to say. Voted outstanding wrestler at the Max Horz Invitational in a match he came close to losing, he was the first to publicly evaluate his own performance, with no excuses ... and a great deal of humor.

Seldom in recent memory has a wrestler dominated his weight class for four years like this smiling (off the mat) competitor.

* We didn't believe his coach when he said Freshman Danny Lord (125) would be one of Hedgesville's Great Ones. We were wrong. Folks, he is the Real Deal.

* Williamsport's Eric Kuczynski (130) has been accepted at the University of Michigan. From Wildcat to Wolverine, eh? (Well, you're the right size, Eric.)